Apparatus for making ice.



HVJ. SMITH.

Patented June 25, 1918.

2 SHEETSSHEET APPARATUS FOR MAKING ICE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 26, 1917.

H. J. SMITH.

APPARATUS FOR MAKING ICE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 26. 191?.

Patented June 2", 1918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- HARRY J". SMITH, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

APPARATUS FOR MAKING ICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 25, isle.

Application filed February 26, 1917. Serial N 0. 150,912.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HARRY J. SMITH, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the borough of Bronx, county of Bronx, city and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Making Ice, of which the following is a specification. My invention is designed to simplify and cheapen the manufacture of ice and at the same time render the product superior in quality. As is well known in the art can ice is made by indirect refrigeration,i. e., by the use of cooled brine as a vehicle for heat extraction, and the limit of practical manufacture in a commercial sense is a block of about three hundred pounds weight. Furthermore can ice, on account of the indirect refrigeration, is not as clear, hard, compact and homogeneous as plate ice, which is produced by direct refrigeration by means of ammonia coils.

My improvements relate to the class of apparatus set forth in a general way in Letters Patent No. 87 6,015, issued to T. H. Ray, J an. 7, 1908, in which provision is made for ice formation by direct refrigeration. But in that apparatus blocks of ice are frozen from three sides 0nly,one broad fiat side of the block by direct contact with a face of the partition in which the ammonia coils are located, and the narrow longitudinal edges by direct contact with metallic cross cut members connected to said coil-partition and extending at right angles thereto. This method of manufacturing blocks of plate ice is expensive and unsatisfactory because the ice is formed (practically) from one side only (the side of the coil-partition) which makes the process slow, and because this method necessitates freezing beyond the ends of the cross cut rectangular extensions of the said coil-partition,the irregularity of surface and excess of ice on this free side of the resultant block having to be rectified by removal and truing up to bring it into conformity with the flat side formed against the coil-partition. This truing up of the free side of the block of ice involves considerable waste of ice, consumes much time and labor, and adds materially to the cost of the product. Furthermore the ice on the free side of the block is not as hard and compact as that formed on the other side of the block by direct contact with the face of the coil-partition.

tion and functions of said divisional members; and (3) the provision made for automatically clearing and rendering operative the agitative air blast should the discharge orifice thereof become clogged by congealing me.

In the accompanying drawings,

Figure 1, is adiagrammatic view indicat ing in plan a portion of an ice tank having compartments constructed in accordance with my invention;

Fig. 2, is a sectional side elevation of portions of one of the coil-partitions;

Fig. 3, is a transverse section taken upon plane of line 3-3, Fig. 2;

Fig. 4, is a top view of one of the divisional freezing members;

Fig. 5, is a flat side elevation of one of the divisional members partly broken away and in section;

Fig. 6, is an edge view of one of the divisional members;

Fig. 7 is a transverse section of one of the divisional members, taken upon plane of line 7-7, Fig. 5;

Fig. 8, is a sectional detail on an enlarged scale showing my air blast control;

Fig. 9, is a sectional detail of the upper part of one of the coil-partitions with one of the divisional members contacting therewith, but broken away.

The tank T, may be of any desired size, construction or dimensions, and needs no special description, its requirements and functions being well known in the art. It is formed into a series of elongated compartments C, by means of the partitions P, which house the ammonia coils A, in a manner also well known in the art.

The coil partitions P, extend to the floor of the tank and entirely across the same, and are formed with metallic side face plates p, p, which contact directly with the ammonia coil A. The upper portion or head 9,

of each coil-partition P, may be formed of wood, with a metallic top .plate 10 on which the divisional members D, are suspended. Each head 2, is also formed with a longitudinal recess p for the accommodation of the air blast pipe I), which extends practically from one end of the coil-partition P, to the other and is provided with a valve 5, and connected with a suitable source of com pressed air supply. This air pressure pipe 7), is formed with a series of nipples b which protrude laterally through the head 19, of the coil-partition P, to which nipples rubber tubes may be attached.

The coil-partitions P, are arranged parallel to each other in the tank, and a distance apart equal to the thickness of the ice block desired, say twelve inches or so. That is to say the width of the compartments C, C, prescribed the thickness of the ice blocks to be produced. The width of the ice blocks is prescribed by the spacing apart of the divisional members D, D, which subdivide the compartments G, into a series of cans or pockets 0, 0, extending from the tops of the coil-partitions P, tothe bottom of the tank.

The width of these divisional members D, D, is equal to the distancebetween the opposed side face plates 7), p, of adjoining coilpartitions P, so that the longitudinal edges 03, d, of said divisional members D, fit snugly between and contact (losely with said opposed side face plates 70, p, of the said coil partitions P, when the divisional members are. positioned and arranged between the latter, as indicated for instance in Fig. 1. Hence, the divisional members, being metallic, and good conductors of heat, bridge over the space between the opposed face plates p, p, and connect them contactually in such manner as to act effectually as auxiliary freezing plates by which the heat is abstracted from the water in the pockets 0, and transmitted to said side, face plates p, p, of the coil-partitions P, to'beelinnnated by the refrigerative action of the ammonia coil in the usual manner.

The metallic head d, of each divisional member D, is provided with lugs 01 by which the member may be suspended upon and between adjoining coil-partitions P, and this head forms the support for a steam pipe 8, and'for an air blast pipe 79 which extends down to a discharge orifice 6 positioned at or near the lower edge of the divisional member and onone side thereof. The lower end of the blast pipe I), is of course sealed except for the discharge orifice b, which is the only means provided for the escape of air from said tube 7).

The steam pipe 8, does not extend to the bottom of the divisional member D, so that steam introduced into the latter through it may circulate therein freely; and the head d, is formed with exhaust openings 61'', d for the relief of internal pressure, and as a means of discharging water of condensation by reversing the divisional member D, for that purpose after use, and preparatory to subsequent use.

The steam pipe 8, may be connected with a suitable source of steam supply by a flexible hose 8, or equivalent means; and a flexible hose 6 or the equivalent thereof, may connect the upper end of the. blast pipe Z), with one of the protuberant nipples b, of the air pressure pipe I).

Interposed' between the air supply pipe I), and the air blast pipe 12 is my anti-clogging air pressure device 6, consisting of a plug formed with a relatively small inlet port a, as compared with the cross areas of the supply pipe 6 and of the blast pipe 6. Thus, supposing the air to be delivered by the supply pipe at an initial pressure of say fifteen pounds, the bore of the inlet passage 6, may be so small as to reduce the pressure in the blast pipe 6 to two or three pounds in excess of atmospheric pressure, which is sufiicientto effect the requisite agitation of the water to insure clear ice. Supposing however that the ice congeals over the discharge orifice b*, so as to impede or stop the out-flow of air from the blast pipe 6 it is obvious that the pressure in said blast pipe 6 will gradually increase until the initial pressure is reached, or until the increase of pressure is sufficient to overcome the obstruction, and the initial pressure provided is calculated to overcome any possible obstruction of this sort. As a result the blast pipe 5 automatically clears its dis-. charge orifice D of any obstruction by congelation, and a steady uniform and effective injection into the water of air under pressure is insured. The divisional members D, may be made slightly convergent from top to bottom to facilitate withdrawing from the ice; and this operation is further facilitated by the use of steam introduced through the pipes s, s, after the completion of the ice cake formation, to loosen the sides of the members D, therefrom. d d are lifting pins with which (1, is provided.

It is a well known fact in the art that two plates of ice cannot be frozen together effectually; that they will soon separate along the plane of juncture. Hence it is not the mere placing of the coil-partitions in closer relationship that enables me to produce homogeneous blocks of plate ice, but the use of the divisional members D, bridging over and extending from one coil-partition to the other whereby the block is formed and built up gradually from all four sides, as I have attempted to illustrate by dotting in Fig. 1. By this means I practically attain blocks of pure, clear, hard, homogeneous and dense ice of any desired size and dimensions having all the qualities of first class plate ice, so called, without any of the disadvantages or waste heretofore involved in the manufacture of blocks of plate ice, since my blocks require no trimming or truing up. In fact, in this respect I attain all the advantages of can ice, while the product is superior thereto for reasons heretofore stated. And ice blocks produced by my method and apparatus are not only superior to can ice but they are cheaper, and it is feasible to make them of any desired size and weight, whereas can ice is limited practically to the production of three hundred pound cakes. Furthermore, the manufacture of can ice involves large floor space and the manipulation of many parts, whereas my apparatus is compact, and requires only the minimum of floor space and equipment. And from the fact that the block is frozen solid from all four sides of the mold, it can be produced in much less time than either can ice or blocks formed from plate ice as heretofore.

By providing for the agitation of the water by air ejected directly from the sides of the divisional members I obviate the use 'of air pipes plunged bodily as heretofore into the body of water to be frozen; and by my air pressure accumulating device I guard against interruption or stoppage of such water agitation by air blast.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is,

1. In ice forming apparatus of the character designated, the combination of a tank, a plurality of coil-partitions arranged in parallelism therein, and hollow metallic divisional members interposed between and contacting directly with the opposed metallic sides of adjacent coil partitions, each of said metallic division members being formed with an air pressure pipe extending to the bottom thereof and opening through the side thereof, and with a steam injection pipe extending to the lower portion thereof, for the purpose described.

2. In ice forming apparatus of the character designated, the combination of a tank, a plurality of coil-partitions arranged in parallelism therein, and hollow metallic divisional members interposed between and contacting directly with the opposed metallic sides of adjacent coil partitions, each of said divisional members being formed with a perforate head piece and being provided with an air blast pipe supported upon and extending through said head piece to the bottom of the divisional member through the lower side wall of which said air blast pipe opens, and also being provided with a steam injection pipe supported upon and extending through said head piece to the lower portion of said divisional member.

3. In ice forming apparatus of the char acter designated, the combination of a tank, a plurality of coil partitions arranged in parallelism therein, and each formed with opening through the side thereof, for the purpose described.

4. In ice forming apparatus of the character designated, the combination of a tank, a plurality of coil partitions arranged in parallelism therein, and each formed with metallic side walls contacting with its refrigerating coil, and with a recessed head portion containing a longitudinall extending air pressure pipe, said air pressure pipe formed with lateral nipples for the attachment of flexible tubing, hollow metallic divisional members interposed between and contacting directly with the opposed metallic side walls of adjacent coil partitions, and each being formed with a perforate head and a steam pipe extending to the lower portion thereof, and with an air blast pipe connected by flexible tubing with an air pressure pipe in the head of one of said coil partitions, said air blast pipe extending to the bottom of the divisional member and opening through the side thereof, for the purpose described.

HARRY J. SMITH. Witnesses Gno. WM. MIATT, DOROTHY MlA'r'r.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of .Patents, Washington, D. G. 

